NCC Hosts Stakeholders’ Forum on Draft A2P Messaging Licensing Framework
Written By Dedeigbo Samson Ayodeji
Posted By Town Crier News Nigeria
Published By Fitness Network Communications
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) held a virtual stakeholders’ forum today as part of its participatory rule-making process. The forum aimed to discuss the licensing framework for a new category in the Nigerian telecommunications sector—the Application-to-Person (A2P) Messaging Licensing Framework.
The welcome address was delivered on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, by the Acting Head, Legal & Regulatory Services, Mrs. Chizua Whyte. The EVC highlighted the significance of A2P messaging in the digital age, emphasizing its role in facilitating communication between businesses and consumers through transactional, promotional, and service-related notifications. He noted that A2P messaging drives efficiency, enhances communication, and contributes to socio-economic development.
The NCC’s strategic focus was explained as being centered on three primary stakeholders: the government, consumers, and industry licensees. The government leverages A2P messaging to communicate with citizens efficiently, consumers benefit from secure and reliable updates, and the industry sees opportunities for innovation and sustainable growth. However, the EVC acknowledged challenges such as fraud, spam, data privacy concerns, and uneven value distribution, which hinder the full potential of A2P messaging in Nigeria.
The forum provided a platform for presenting the proposed regulatory framework and engaging stakeholders, including operators, aggregators, businesses, and consumers. The EVC emphasized the importance of collaboration and inclusivity, urging participants to contribute feedback to refine the framework and ensure a sustainable, competitive, and secure A2P messaging ecosystem in Nigeria.
During the forum, the Commission presented feedback received during the development of the draft framework and provided responses to observations and recommendations from licensees. It reiterated its commitment to continuous engagement with both internal and external stakeholders to finalize the A2P Messaging Services Licensing Framework.
A presentation by Mrs. Truddy Tony-Awusaku, Assistant Director in the Licensing and Authorisation Department, provided an overview of the framework. It highlighted the current unregulated status of international A2P messaging in Nigeria, resulting in revenue leakages, security risks, and market disparities. The framework aims to standardize tariffs, enhance security, prevent fraud, increase local revenue through taxation, and ensure comprehensive market oversight.
The proposed licensing objectives include centralizing international A2P message routing, enforcing compliance with a unified platform, protecting user data through stringent security protocols, and fostering a competitive and transparent market. The license would cover operations such as secure routing of A2P messages, offering transactional and notification services, and implementing subscriber opt-in/out mechanisms.
Key features of the license include a fee of N10 million, a renewable five-year tenure, and eligibility criteria requiring applicants to be registered corporate entities in Nigeria with financial capabilities and agreements with host network operators or national carriers. Licensees would need to integrate with local mobile network operators (MNOs) and comply with technical requirements such as fraud detection, data protection, encryption, and interconnection with centralized SMS firewalls.
Regulatory compliance would involve adherence to NCC regulations, submission of periodic reports, and compliance with standardized tariffs. Breaches could attract penalties, including fines, license suspension, or revocation. Benefits of the framework include improved security, local revenue retention, enhanced user trust, and transparency in market operations.
